Taiwan Scrambles Jets To Shadow Mainland Bombers

Taiwan on Friday scrambled fighter jets to shadow PLA jets conducting a drill around the island, just hours after Beijing welcomed Burkina Faso's move to sever diplomatic ties with Taipei.

Taiwan's defence ministry said it had dispatched fighter jets to monitor two H-6 bombers that were flying over the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan.

"We are fully monitoring the situation and taking efficient responsive measures to ensure defence security," it said.

The scrambling comes a day after Burkina Faso became the second of Taiwan's dwindling number of formal allies to jump ship in a month.

Relations have deteriorated between Beijing and Taipei since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power two years ago as her government refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of "one China".

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which is in charge of ties with Beijing, announced late on Thursday that mainland officials applying to visit the island would be subject to tighter screening, without elaborating.

The move aims to "prevent the Chinese communists from dividing and disturbing social order in Taiwan with their unification propaganda measures", it said in a statement.

President Tsai warned Beijing on Thursday that Taiwan would not tolerate what she called its "crude behaviour to undermine our sovereignty".

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu tendered his resignation after Burkina Faso's announcement, but said on Friday that he would stay on in the position at the president's request. (AFP)